What is Journalism?

A quick look at how journalism started and where it has evolved. Journalism changes overtime to accommodate
different technology and ways of getting information to the public. It's the job of journalism schools and
students to include this in their education.

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, journalism is "… the collection, preparation, and distribution of
news and related commentary and feature materials through such media as pamphlets, newsletters, newspapers,
magazines, radio, motion pictures, television, books, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, and e-mail."

Journalism is continually evolving to meet the needs of its audience. The list of media the Encyclopaedia Brittannica
described above has changed over the years, but would have once started and ended with "newspaper."

At journalism schools across the country, international students will begin their training with a brief history to
hopefully answer the question of "what is journalism?"

Early History

In the US, journalism's history begins in 1690 with the very first American newspaper. The plan was to publish
monthly, but outrage by the government forced Publick Occurrences to close down after its first 3-page issue.

Over the course of the next hundred years, two major developments became the catalyst for journalism in the US: the
construction of the first printing press in America and the passage of the First Amendment, which granted Americans
freedom of speech and of the press.

Eventually, more and more newspapers appeared, each with the goal of reaching a large audience. However, impartial
and neutral reporting wouldn't exist until the 20th century. Publishers were quick to back certain political views
and flaunt them in their papers.

By 1833, the first newspaper was sold for a remarkably cheap penny. Called the Penny Press, this trend in journalism
meant that the working class were finally able to afford to purchase newspapers. Creating an even larger audience
for journalism, the Penny Press brought mass popularity to the newspaper industry.

Toward the end of the century, the newspaper industry struggled less with gaining mass readership as a whole, than
with gaining readers for their own papers. This started a massive circulation war fueled by Joseph Pulitzer, who
owned the New York World, and William Randolph Hearst, owner of the New York Journal. It became known as yellow
journalism because both men printed eye-catching and sensational news to sell as many papers as possible.

Note: While they gained notoriety because of yellow journalism, both men also had an important impact on the
industry. Hearst purchased more and more newspapers, which grew into a media conglomerate that still exists today.
Pulitzer created the Pulitzer Prize, which became the most prestigious and coveted award in journalism.

The departure from this era was muckraking, when journalists investigated wrong-doing in the early 1900's. Primarily
writing for magazines, but also for newspapers, journalists such as Nellie Bly and Upton Sinclair uncovered abuse of
patients in mental hospitals and discovered malpractice in the meatpacking industry.

The 1900's also gave rise to radio, which increased in popularity during the first half of the century due to its mix
of news, music, and entertainment programs. President Franklin D. Roosevelt notably used radio to his advantage with
his Fireside Chats—a series of informal discussions with the public regarding his progress and hopes for the
country.

Finally, the latter half of the 1900s saw television and then the Internet surpass other media as the main source of
news for the American public. While newspapers, radio, and magazines are still around, they have certainly declined
in popularity with the rapid growth of free and more readily accessible media.

What Is Journalism Today?

The answer to "What is Journalism?" in 1690 was easy: a newspaper. With the rise of technology, the answer today is
more nuanced. It's still the research and dissemination of news to the public. But you can't just print it in a
newspaper and call it a day. There are so many ways that news can be disseminated that it can be overwhelming for
international students to choose which branch of journalism to study. It is also difficult for journalism schools to
develop curricula that cover it all.

Forms of Journalism

News can be shared through newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film, photography and online—all of which
are studied at journalism schools across the country.

Hard-Hitting News

International students interested in reporting will learn to report the day's or week's events. This is news that
gets straight to the point, listing the "what", "when", "who", and "where" of important current events. Eventually,
students may become beat reporters or staff writers for newspaper, radio, television or online media enterprises.
These businesses produce daily publications and broadcasts, which require journalists to meet tight deadlines while
ensuring that the facts in every story are accurate.

Analyzing and Explainingthe News

News analysis accounts for the "how" and the "why." Students interested in analyzing important news and explaining
how it happened might enjoy writing features or doing some investigative or narrative reporting. Investigative
journalists enjoy a longer span of time to investigate, edit, and craft their stories, which can be found in
newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and on the Internet.

Visual

Photojournalism and documentaries are for journalists who see the value of an image or series of images over the
written or spoken word. These are often used in conjunction with other forms of journalism.

Opinion

While the facts still need to be correct, opinionated journalism (also known as "editorials) permit journalists to
express opinions. However, they must still be open to criticism from readers who hold different opinions.

Sensational

Sensational journalism is, essentially, the modern day form of yellow journalism. For journalists interested in
jaw-dropping news of scandal, outrage, and celebrities, tabloids and entertainment television be the places to
work.

Citizen Journalism

With all the technology that exists today, it's easy for any person (whether trained or not in the art of journalism)
to post a tweet to twitter, a comment on Facebook, or write a blog that disseminates the "news"; the problem is that
the story may not be factual, or adhere to an ethical code, but it can still be considered news. Trained journalists
are not citizen journalists, but it's important to note how far technology has come that any person can get their
point published in some form.

Learn more about studying journalism in the USA by reading our growing article collection.

Over time we will be updating this section and including more information for those who want to study
journalism in the USA and for other countries, but please feel free to post your thoughts and comments on our
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